The Sox will send minor-league catcher Tim Federowicz, 23, to the Mariners as part of the deal, Edes reported. A seventh-round pick in 2008, Federowicz has played this season for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, hitting .275/.337/.397 in 89 games.

4:25 p.m.: It appears the deal is more complex than originally reported. The Sox also sent Double-A starting pitcher Stephen Fife, Double-A outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang and Single-A pitcher Juan Rodriguez to Seattle in the deal.

4:30 p.m.: The Sox have reportedly traded at least three prospects as part of the deal: Federowicz, Rodriguez and Fife. The Mariners then sent Federowicz, Rodriguez and Fife to the Dodgers in a deal for bigtime outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson.

4:40 p.m.: The Red Sox also acquired Joshua Fields from the Mariners in the same deal, Edes reported. The pitching prospect was a first-round pick by Seattle in 2008, and spent portions of this season in Double-A and Triple-A as a reliever.

4:55 p.m.: I suppose it's time to dissect the Bedard portion of this deal. It immediately upgrades Boston's rotation, giving them an insurance policy if Clay Buchholz's back problems continue and a replacement for either Tim Wakefield or Andrew Miller if Buchholz recovers.

At his best, Bedard will give Boston one of the better left-handers in baseball. Despite playing for an awful team, he has posted a 4-7 record this year with a 3.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings.

At 32, however, he has made at least 30 starts in a season only once in his career, and that was back in 2007. He was hammered by the Rays on Friday night in his return from the disabled list, giving up five runs in 1 1/3 innings. He had been out a month with a knee sprain.